A win at last

Last updated : 08 December 2004 By Tony Scholes

Amadou Sanokho - two goals as reserves finally win
Alex Taylor scored tonight and he was on the mark back on 26th November 2003 when we last picked up maximum points in a home game. On that occasion we beat Hull City 3-2 and the other two goals came from Luke Chadwick.


It was the clash of the bottom two tonight but it didn’t take long to realise that the Clarets were much, much stronger than their counterparts from Wrexham and there really couldn’t have been anything other than a win.


Amadou Sanokho partnered Taylor up front and both could have scored before Sanokho gave us the lead with a sweetly struck shot from around fifteen yards after it had been played across to him by Marc Pugh.

The defence had little to do as the Clarets dominated and with Joe Booth and Mark Yates in excellent form in the midfield area we just kept pushing forward. Pugh, Matt O’Neill, Taylor and even Yatesy came close to doubling the lead before Taylor finally got on the end of a Paul Scott cross to head into the corner.


It was 2-0 at half time but the game could have been out of Wrexham’s reach. We don’t have cheerleaders at reserve team games but we were treated to a half time race between youth players Ryan Townsend and Kyle Lafferty who both looked adept with their crutches.

It was all but over not too long after the start of the second half and it was Sanokho again. This time he broke clear of the defence on the left hand side and as keeper Matt Baker came out he chipped the ball over him.

We continued to press but couldn’t add any further goals although Scott was nearest after a blistering run down the left wing that ended with a powerful cross shot that went just wide of the far post.


Overall it was a comfortable win that gives Mark Yates his first success as reserve team coach and leaves his side now unbeaten in six games. It will be some time before we get the chance to extend the run, the next match in the Land of the Unprofessionals is not for another five weeks.

Wrexham were out of it and there will have been little to enthuse the watching Welsh Under-21 manager Brian Flynn who had made the long journey to Turf Moor to check out some of the visiting players.


The win will lift us three points clear of Wrexham who remain bottom of the league. What a pity that once again so few turned up to see it, just 140 tonight.


The teams were,

Burnley: Mark Crossley, Joel Pilkington, (Rob Henry 90), Neal Trotman, Chris McCann, Paul Scott, Marc Pugh (Nicky Platt 82), Mark Yates (Darrell Avery 63), Joe Booth, Matt O’Neill, Alex Taylor, Amadou Sanokho. Subs not used: Michael Hale, Adam Jones.

Wrexham: Matt Baker, Mark Harris (Phil Gray 85), Alex Smith, Liam Jones, Gareth Evans, Levi Mackin, Kieran Quinn, Matt Crowell, Mark Jones, Matt Shaw (Graham Roche 76), Callum Flanagan (Jamie Reed 17). Subs not used: Chris Evans, Marc Williams.

Attendance: 140.

Fixtures and Results